One of the main benefits of wellness in the workplace is to improve employee health. Employee wellness programs can help reduce health costs. Building a sustainable company requires making investments in the present that will hold for the future. Workplace...
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The overall goal of any wellness program is to help employees adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. It is best when employees are internally motivated to be healthy. But sometimes employees get stuck in unhealthy habits and they need help in...
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When an employer implements a workplace wellness program, it typically does so for a specific reason – to reduce a health risk (such as obesity, physical inactivity or diabetes) for the workforce, to manage health care spending or as a...
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Workplace Wellness Challenges are activities that engage people in becoming happier, healthier and more energetic at work. Building a culture of wellness in the workplace takes time, but fun challenges can help engage employees and bring them together toward the...
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Corporate Wellness Seminars are a means to share health information with the employees and are becoming more and more common as employers recognize the long-term benefits they provide to both employees and employers. The benefit to Employers: Promotes positive image for...
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According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 75% of employers’ health care costs and productivity losses are related to employee lifestyle choices. While small improvements make wellness initiatives pay off, it can be challenging to implement and achieve....
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As we embark on 2018 with our goals and strategies for business success, let us not lose sight of the reality that employee health is a performance driver. A fundamental issue regarding business value of better health is that health...
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Tanzania joined the world in commemorating the World Aids Day on 1st December as a way to unite to fight against the HIV/AIDS stigma, commemorate those who have lost the battle with AIDS, and show support for those living with...
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Last week, at the 7th Annual HR Summit 2017, organized by the IRIS Executive Development Center in Bagamoyo, I presented “Wellness and Business Sustainability” and participated in a panel discussion on “What is Culture’? There were some very interesting insights...
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Men are often known to be indifferent towards their health - many don't talk, don't take action and will only go the doctor when they are extremely sick – skipping preventive screenings. As a result, awareness of men’s health issues...
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Diabetes is a silent disease in which many individuals become aware that they have diabetes only when they develop one or more of its life-threatening complications (Wee et al., 2002). Complications from Type 2 Diabetes include blindness, renal disease and...
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The Ocean Road Cancer Institute projects more than 44,000 new cases of cancer per year in Tanzania. Cancer is a public health concern that will increase in importance over the next decade as diagnosis and treatments become more successful and...
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Although anxiety, depression and work-related stress can be connected, they are different things. It is important to recognize that anxiety and depression are clinical health conditions, while stress is not. The World Health Organization defines work-related stress as: “The reaction...
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An employer-sponsored Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a work-based intervention program designed to identify and assist employees in resolving personal problems that may be affecting their performance at work. EAPs provide needs assessment, help, counseling, and referrals for employees and...
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According to the Lancet, physical activity brings “a sense of purpose and value, a better quality of life, improved sleep, and reduced stress, as well as stronger relationships and social connectedness. Lack of physical activity is associated with increased risks...
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The practice of mindfulness and meditation has been around for thousands of years but has gained interest in the business world primarily because we now have the ability to see how these practices change the wiring and makeup of our...
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NCDs refer to physical or mental health condition that lasts for long period of time and causes functional restrictions or requires ongoing monitoring and treatment such as heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma, anemia, diabetes, arthritis, cancer and mood disorders,...
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Companies institute wellness programs in the workplace based on their belief that such programs will improve employee health, reduce medical costs, increase productivity, and raise retention rates. But does your program design take into account employee attitudes regarding health and...
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World Heart Day takes place on 29 September every year with a focus on creating heart healthy environments and encouraging us all to reduce our cardiovascular risk and promote heart-health at home, work and play. This is an excellent time...
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Last week, I was one of the panelists on discussions around Emerging Smart Cities in East Africa and my contributions were in the context of “Smart Cities – Health = Sick Citizens”. UN projects that 70% of world’s population will...
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With all the buzz around Smart Cities and Smart Buildings, isn’t it time we also start creating Smart Workplaces? So what exactly are Smart Workplaces and how do they relate to Workplace Wellness? A new report from CBRE Global Workforce...
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As we celebrate Nane Nane, to honor farmers' contributions to the economy, a question we need to ask is are our farmers healthy? The agriculture sector accounts for half of the national economy. According to the World Bank, employment is...
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The Busy Syndrome – or is it the 21st Century syndrome? Our go-to response to the question of how are you doing - “ I am so busy” is sometimes seen as a badge of honor. If everyone in your...
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According to a recent PEW Research Center analysis of labor statistics in 114 countries, women make up 40% of the workforce in more than 80 countries globally. Tanzania with 50.5% working women is amongst the top five countries with the...
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According to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ 2016 Employee Financial Wellness Survey incorporating the views of 1.600 full-time employed adults in the U.S.: • 45% of employees identify financial matters as the most stressful issue they face; • 40% have difficulty meeting their household...
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We have been receiving several inquires for conducting Employee Wellness Seminars and most of them request “can you talk about healthy food choices”? Analyzing these requests further revealed that wellness is associated with what we eat – which is a...
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Hypertension – also known as high blood pressure – is a result of blood pushing vessel walls at a higher speed than normal. The heart’s job is to pump blood into arteries or blood vessels throughout the body. With high...
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Increasingly, companies in Tanzania are recognizing the need for Employee Wellness Programs by providing gym membership and some are monitoring gym attendance and subsidizing membership dues as a wellness initiative. This is a positive step indeed – however gym workout...
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Everyone who has held a job has, at some point, felt the pressure of work-related stress. Any job can have stressful elements, even if you love what you do. In the short-term, you may experience pressure to meet a deadline...
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This article is inspired by a couple of recent encounters, where I was asked – “But what exactly is Corporate Wellness?” I am glad this question was asked, because it would be a shame if your organization missed out on...
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The Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) and Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) report a 100% rise in new cancer cases from 2006. Between 2000 and 2005, the institution received about 2400 to 2500 cancer patients while between the years 2006 –...
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Your company depends on a healthy workforce to be productive and sustainable. To ensure that your team stays healthy, it is essential to promote a culture that emphasizes prevention and wellness. What are your strategies to empower your team members...
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In 2011, Leading Productive Lives based in Dallas, Texas in partnership with Dinar Standard, a New York based Research and Advisory firm conducted an extensive survey on “Productivity during Ramadan”. The study focusing on impact of Ramadan on employee productivity...
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Have you tried to associate your most productive day with what you ate for breakfast and lunch? When we think about the factors that contribute to workplace productivity, we usually think in the context of staying on top of emails,...
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World Health Organization kicked off their year-long “Depression – Let’s Talk” campaign on the World Health Day on April, 7th. The campaign is a wake up call to de-stigmatize the conversation around mental illness and encourages people suffering from depression...
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The 5th World Happiness Report 2017 was recently released by the United Nations as an insight into pubic health and economic prosperity. Happiness is increasingly considered the proper measure of social progress and the goal of public policy. The report...
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Last week, we heard with horror about the terror attack at Westminster Abbey, the busiest tourist thoroughfare and the seat of the parliament in London. Such events remind us that scary, dangerous and stressful situations can happen anywhere: on the...
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“It is common for managers and colleagues to look at a lack of focus or motivation, irritability, and bad decision making being caused by poor training, organizational politics or the work environment. The answer could be much simpler – a...
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This article is inspired by a number of corporates who have recently opined that they do not have the budget for employee wellness due to current economic trends. My argument is that not paying attention to employee wellness during such...
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Do you incorporate employee health in your business strategy? Studies have shown results of a healthy workforce that include: 20% more revenue per employee 4% higher profit margin 16% higher market value 27% reduction in sick leave 32% reduction in...
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In this column, we discuss the Sitting Disease – the disease of our time and an emerging Public Health concern. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60-85% of the population worldwide does not engage in enough activity, making physical...
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Neck pain, shoulder pain, lower back pain – how can working at a desk job be so painful? The answer is ergonomics, the science of coordinating physical working conditions to workers. The word comes from the Greek word ergon, meaning...
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Health care costs have been steadily rising for the past four decades and present a major challenge to employers. As a result, executing strategies to contain escalating health care costs has become a business imperative for today’s companies. Four key...
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Employee absences carry a heavy cost for many employers and have a large impact on revenue and productivity according to a study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) of 700 of its members. The National Wellness Survey...
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Employees are considered a company's greatest asset and their health issues can dramatically affect the workplace. Employees who are not healthy have lower levels of productivity and higher health costs. According to the Corporate Wellness Magazine, every $1 invested in...
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Last week, one of the leading newspaper reported that a lady in Arusha, set her own house on fire due to a dispute with her husband and when caught and imprisoned, committed suicide. In addition, I have been alarmed by...
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We recently launched our “Movement to Fitness” program with a cross section of participants from various organizations in the age range of 30 – 60. Fitness assessment conducted at the program onset, revealed a set of conditions such as impaired...
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Our Movement to Fitness Program is launched and our team of Mayo Certified Wellness Coaches, Physiotherapist / Fitness Experts, led by our Endocrinologist/Exercise Physiologist is all geared up to steer an exciting Fitness journey for our first batch of participants...
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Do you incorporate employee health in your business strategy? Studies have shown results of a healthy workforce that include: 20% more revenue per employee 4% higher profit margin 16% higher market value 27% reduction in sick leave 32% reduction in...
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The International Employee Assistance Professional Association defines Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as “ A worksite based program designed to assist in the identification and resolution of productivity problems associated with employees whose performance / conduct is adversely affected by personal...
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Most employees do not want formal help in making health changes; they prefer to do it on their own. In guided self-help Wellness Coaches provide support, materials and encouragement. Wellness coaches work with employees to help them carry out a...
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Similar to any other business initiative, your Wellness Program should have a tangible, sustainable and an economic rationale to prove its impact on your bottom-line. The big 5 economic costs related to employee health and wellness are: Medical Insurance Costs...
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Yoga is a 5,000 year old practice having its origin in India and aims to transform both body and mind. In 2014, recognizing its importance in today’s world, the United Nations General Assembly declared 21st June as the International Day...
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Last week, during my session series on Stress Management at a client organization, during discussions regarding stress busters, I introduced Laughter Yoga and got a few quizzical looks. We therefore went into a practical demonstration and the response was absolutely...
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Join ImpactAfya's MARATHON TRAINING from 16th JULY - 29th OCTOBER, 2016 for all levels of Runners and Walkers - right here in Dar es Salaam, where you will: TAKE CHARGE of your body and mind, ACHIEVE your Marathon GOAL and...
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Majority of the 1.6 billion people, which is 23% of the world’s population will be observing 30 days of fasting and religious practices during the holy month of Ramadan. That is upto 17 hours of not eating or drinking every...
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Dr Kaushik was recently featured in Lancet as "A Doctor who makes more than a Difference"
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An excerpt from my presentation at the African Sustainable Business Summit at the Hyatt Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam on 14th & 15th April, 2016 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We hear the word sustainability daily – the reason why sustainability is so important is...
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On April 25th people across the globe will take part in a wide range of activities to mark World Malaria Day. For half the world every day is world malaria day – a day to keep up the fight against...
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A recent study conducted by Morgan Philip and Mazars was unveiled during the 2016 edition of the African CEO Forum 2016, which brought together 800 attendees, including over 500 CEOs from all four corners of the continent, 100 bankers and...
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My column today is prompted by an intriguing question I came across on the social media – “Is Depression a thing in Tanzania or is it laughed off as a foreign thing”? As reported by Dr Kaaya, Department of Psychiatry...
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Experts believe that personal, one-to-one health coaching is an important part of a successful results-oriented employee wellness program. Why? Because they help people cope with preventable health risks and manage health cost. Employees who are obese, chronically stressed, or who...
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Alcohol abuse and addiction are problems that are not only close to home but close to workplace. Alcohol abuse has a huge negative impact on our nation’s businesses, large and small. Facts about alcohol and workplace issues Alcohol is a...
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And the answer is ABSOLUTELY The Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) reports that more than 95% of businesses in Tanzania are small enterprises, are contributing about 35% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and are responsible...
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ImpactAfya Advisory Board for the Center of Integrated Medicine kicked off the feasibility study with a SWOT analysis on 6th March, 2016. Yes - we are on the right track with the vision...... What an exciting project Thank you Golden...
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How Wellness Programs help Employers control healthcare expenses Health care costs have been steadily rising for the past four decades and present a major challenge to employers. As a result, executing strategies to contain escalating health care costs has become...
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Marathon running is becoming popular across the globe because preparing and running a marathon helps individuals not only become healthier and fit, but also develop critical life skills and business skills. ImpactAfya, a Corporate Wellness Service Provider in East Africa...
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We hope you are having a terrific Tuesday. We want to share with you a question from one of our readers, who prefers anonymity - Why would a Company invest in staff wellness? Our response is - Why would a...
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Absenteeism forms 7% and presenteeism 58% of health care costs based on a composite of selected studies on Employee Health Related Costs according to the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation (SHRM). Check out my column titled "Corporate Wellness" on page...
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Last session of our series with Interact Club at H.O.P.A.C. We discussed Non-communicable diseases, risks of sedentary lifestyle and brain power....."Healthy Body - Healthy Mind".... The kids are planning to suggest a 5 min "Get Moving" break at start of...
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Employees are considered a company's greatest asset and their health issues can dramatically affect the workplace. Employees who are not healthy have lower levels of productivity and higher health costs. According to the Corporate Wellness Magazine, every $1 invested in...
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Here are top 10 tips for designing and implementing an effective Employee Wellness Program: Deciding who your program is for For reasons of both cost and common sense, one of the first things to consider is exactly who, within your...
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ImpactAfya is conducting weekly session series during the month of January, 2016 with the Interact Club at Haven of Peace Academy, Dar es Salaam. Session topics: Drug Addiction, Communicable diseases - namely: Cholera, Ebola, Malaria, River Blindness ending with a...
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ImpactAfya interviewed by The Guardian discussing effective organizations embedding employee health in their Mission statement and company culture for improved job performance
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ImpactAfya was featured in The Guardian Newspaper on 5th January, 2016 discussing benefits of conducting health risk assessment
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What an incredible experience speaking to Interact Club at the Heaven of Peace Academy - a group of really switched on young people who have internalized the true Rotary spirit, eager to help. we discussed what is drug abuse, how...
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The holidays are a time to enjoy with family and friends and a great opportunity to celebrate life, to be grateful and reflect on what is important . Here are a few tips to enjoy the festivities while choosing to...
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ImpactAfya is project managing a State of the Art Health Facility at Mapinga Satellite City. A Center of Integrated Medicine offering primary & curative health care, Medical rehabilitation services with complementary medicine for holistic treatment is envisaged. Feasibility studies are...
Read MoreImpactAfya launched the Wellness Program at Commercial Bank of Africa Tanzania with Employee Orientation Sessions on impact of lifestyles on workplace and how our Wellness Programs help. It started with a baseline assessment of Personal Well-Being Factor aggregating to Organization Well-Being...
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ImpactAfya invited Dr Tanya Pergola, PhD in Sociology and Social Psychology and the author of “Time is Cows – Timeless Wisdom of the Maasai” to conduct a series of wellness workshops ranging from yoga and meditation, powerful communication and food...
Read MoreWho wouldn't want less stress? Stress far too often stops people being effective and makes them feel "out of control". Even if you have not suffered you'll have seen its effects. It can seriously affect our health and our work....
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What a fun morning interacting with the South African Women’s Group (SAWG) Brunch held at the Terrace Restaurant to celebrate Women’s Day. Yes, you can exercise while at your desk in office or in front of the TV at home...
Read MoreWe received an overwhelming response to our last newsletter, where we introduced Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) as a major threat to Tanzanian companies. The good news is that there are simple, cost-effective solutions available to prevent and control NCDs - starting...
Read MoreMs Bhakti Shah gave a presentation on 'Wellbeing at Workplace' to the management team of 21 at Insignia Ltd. She discussed non-communicable diseases and their impact. Participant feedback rated the session as excellent. Stay tuned for our future editions with exciting...
Read MoreLast week I presented "Lifestyles and Impact on Workplace" to the management team at Insignia Ltd. I was humbled by the great feedback. Participants said the presentation helped them learn how to manage personal health, raising awareness of modifiable risk...
Read MoreWe thank our readers for their comments - From Insignia - "Very interesting information" and from Noesis - "Workplace Wellness is a vital part of business success and better life". I continually hear from business leaders with the same expectations...
Read MoreWe have received great feedback to our 1st Newsletter -To quote Advocate Jean Paul – “I want to thank you for such informative insight on a very common killer that is almost ignored day in day out in this society....
Read MoreDo you know how much ill health is costing your business? We have launched a new resource to help you maintain the health and efficiency of your workforce - A free twice monthly newsletter packed with tips and advice for...
Read MoreHere are a few papers published on workplace wellness by the World Health Organisation: Five keys to healthy Workplaces – No Business Wealth without Workers Health - http://www.who.int/occupational_health/5keys_healthy_workplaces.pdf Five keys to healthy workplaces – a WHO Global Model for action...
Read MoreImpactAfya organized a Webinar on the 'Power of Employee Well-being' introducing practical strategies to build a healthy and productive workforce and organization. The webinar brought together industry experts – Jean Baptiste Gruet, Senior Vice President, Global Business Solutions and Debbie...
Read MoreHere are a few papers published on workplace wellness by the World Economic Forum: WEF in collaboration with FTI Consulting - The Workplace Wellness Alliance – Making the Right investment: Employee Health and the Power of Metrics http://www3.weforum.org/docs/wef_he_workplacewellnessalliance_report_2013.pdf WEF in partnership...
Read MoreMs Bhakti Shah was interviewed for the Business Edition on Capital Television, where she discussed the current and future trends for Workplace Wellness in Tanzanian Corporates. Stay tuned for our future editions with exciting topics on impact of lifestyle on...
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Ms Bhakti Shah gave a presentation on "Lifestyles and Impact on Workplace" and discussed intervention strategies for Workplace Wellness at a Retreat for Uongozi Institute – Institute of African leadership for sustainable development. A total of 16 participants including the...
Read MoreA total of 25 health professionals from a cross section of specialties underwent Wellness Foundation Coaches Training conducted by our partners, Workplace Options. Out of these 25 participants, 20 are now Mayo Certified Wellness Coaches and are an integral part...
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